Entourage: The Sorkin Notes

(S06E08) "I'm glad you finally admit the last five years of your life were all fantasy provided by me." - Ari

Because I've been such a big proponent of this season (despite what I'm about to say, I still say this has been the best season since the third), I'm starting to think that everything has been a fantasy up until this point when it comes to Entourage.

There are so many solid plots going on this season and every time I think that something big is gonna happen, it falls flat and leaves me disappointed.

Here's my three gripes:

Vince's stalker - This was a huge letdown. There was a real opportunity here for some serious drama and conflict to come out of this. It would have been far more tense had Aaron (is Peter Stormare ever not creepy?) found more, better yet, scarier, evidence in Vince's house regarding the stalker. Curtis Tucker's driver's license is not only predictable, but it's likely that Aaron planted it to spook Vince into buying the most expensive security package possible. Not only that, but Curtis looks exactly as Ari predicted - some skinny little white boy with freckles and red hair. Maybe I'm thinking too dark here, but finding death threats or something more serious would have been great and showed us a side of Vince that we've never seen. Now it's just comic relief - "when's Curtis gonna steal more undies?"

Andrew's meltdown - He fought with his wife, drove his car into his house, missed his meeting, and ended up in jail - fine, fine, fine. I loved all that, but then it crashed and burned. All season long we've heard nothing but how great an agent Andrew is and how he's making bundles of money for Miller-Gold, signing writers left and right. However, we've never seen him in action. Finally, there's an opportunity for this from behind the plexi-glass as he talks with Aaron Sorkin and Ari at the county jail. Instead of drawing from memory whatever he had written down on the infamous Sorkin Notes and blowing us all away with an amazing (and fabled) Andrew pitch, he crumbled and cried. Worst of all, Sorkin still agreed to sign! How boring is that?!?

Eric's women - Let's get one thing out of the way: Eric standing up to Sloan and telling her that he can't wait for her to make up her mind was long overdue and insanely entertaining to watch. However, I still feel slightly unsatisfied. I wish he had gotten a drink with her! Maybe made out with her. Ending back up at Ashley's place still feels like a diversion, for us and him. We know it's going to be Sloan when all is said and done and that's what I find most annoying about it. He's chastising Sloan for not having her mind made up when his isn't either.

There was still a lot to love about this episode (Andrew in his PJs, Babs flipping out, anything Marlo says), but all of that is on the sidelines compared to the other stuff I mentioned. This season started off with a strong new direction promising all sorts of character development and growth. However, after this episode, it feels a little stunted.

I find Entourage so boring anymore. Eric's love life is boring, the stalker plotline is going nowhere fast, and Lloyd's agent-ship isn't moving. I just wish it would move faster! They only have 30ish minutes a week but move it along.

dkny: We live in a world where Sorkin is cursed by being too smart a writer for today's television audience. If West Wing started today, it would be cancelled after a handful of episodes... people wouldn't have the attention span to watch it and most wouldn't be able to understand a highly intelligent scripted drama with real substance. Wait... where are the dancing celebrities? Who are the judges? Which person is trying to lose weight? Who's getting the new house? Are they gonna eat worms? No? Then fuck this.... *flip channel*

Sucks to be Sorkin. He can go write little plays I guess. Or maybe he can whack himself over the head with a crowbar just enough times to kill off a good deal of brain cells, cause mild brain damage, and then he could be a successful TV writer in the current market. Even then, it's cheaper and more profitable to just have acquaintances of relatives of washed up celebrities sing, dance, and eat turds on TV. No writers necessary.

I hate to say this because this show was such a fun pleasure even when it wasn't very good but now it just plain sucks. And is it just me or is watching Eric hook up with this girl who looks 12 VERY uncomfortable. Oh and bring back the West Wing!

I'm still out on whether this is a great season. But it is one with some good season-long story arcs.

I particularly like E's (since I can definitely identify with him) dilemma with Sloan. She is so beautiful and connected, but he wants to be his own man, as much as that is possible being Vince's boy. I also like how he stood up with her.

E probably will be with Sloan in the end, and I probably will be okay with that, just because Emmanuelle Chriqui is so beautiful and has such a great vibe.